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Why Should You Install A Deck In Your Backyard?

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A big backyard can be like a blank canvas.  Unfortunately, though, you may not feel creative enough to fill that canvas!  If you’re looking for a great way to turn your backyard into a fun, stylish place to be, you need outdoor decking.


Wonderful for Backyard Barbecues

A deck can be the perfect centrepiece for your yard.  Once it’s installed, you can surround it with landscaping or even a garden, so that you can inject all of the various colours and textures that you want.  The area will look great, and it will be practical, too!  After all, everyone loves hanging out in the backyard for a barbecue, and outdoor decking gives you the perfect space to host all of your friends and family.  From it, you’ll be able to enjoy warm afternoons and great sunsets!

Best of all, outdoor decking is so versatile that you can fit it into any decor.  No matter what type of home you have, what type of yard you’ve got, or what type of budget you have to work with, a deck can match it.  Even if you’ve got a ton of hills or uneven patches in your yard, you can make outdoor decking work!

Think you can’t enjoy a deck because your yard isn’t big enough?  Think again!  Sure, you may not have a sprawling area to host giant parties, but you can definitely create a spot that injects a little bit of life into your plain ol’ backyard.  In fact, it could be just the thing you need to add some dimension and some much-needed extra space to your smaller home!

OK, so you want outdoor decking… But does that mean you have to spend a ton of money on a professional builder?

No way!

Outdoor decking is so versatile that you can build it yourself if you want.  If you’ve got some woodworking experience, building your own deck can be a great way to spend your free time.  All you need is a pencil and some paper to draw out some designs.  Once you measure your yard, you’ll be able to figure out how much wood you need to build the deck of your dreams.

What if you’re not that handy?

There are tons of timber decking specialists out there, who can give you the expertise you need, without charging you an arm and a leg.  They can help you figure out which type of wood is right for your deck — soft or hard — along with the perfect level of treatment you need to create a deck for the long haul.

Whether you decide to do the work yourself or call in an expert, you’ll be happy to know that the outdoor decking possibilities are endless.  As long as you plan ahead carefully, you can wind up with the perfect finished product.  In fact, an addition like this can add some serious value to your home — not to mention all of the “style points” you’ll get from it.

Bottom line — a deck can make your house feel like home again!

Sam Nathan is a freelance writer. His interests include sports, travel and health.

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Rhino Deck: Making Your Outdoor Space Come Alive

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The right landscaping can add a beautiful look and a lush, tranquil feel to your deck space. It can also provide valuable functions like shade and privacy. What’s more, outdoor gardens can provide herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Figuring out what landscaping will work best for your deck space can be a challenge. Rhino Deck offers the following ideas and advice for turning a bare bones outdoor structure into a garden oasis.

First, consider the function your landscaping will serve. Do you want to provide shade? Privacy? Are you looking to cover up gaps or spaces? Or do you just want to accent your space with colorful foliage and flowers?

If you’re looking to provide shade, building or remodeling your deck space around or near an existing tree with a large canopy is one option. Adding tall trees around an existing deck is another. You can also consider installing lattice panels in the sunniest spots, and training vines to climb to create a living wall. Rhino Deck offers durable, beautiful composite lattice panels ideal for just such a purpose.

Vine-covered lattice structures are also excellent for providing privacy. You can also create privacy by artfully placing potted plants in the deck’s interior to cover spaces between rails. For some extra fun and function, choose fruiting vines like tomatoes or peppers, or bushy herbs like lavender or rosemary to create your own vegetable or herb garden. For lower or platform decks, tall shrubs or a combination of trees and shrubs of varying heights can be planted around the perimeter to act as a natural screen.

If you’re simply looking to enhance your deck view with a beautiful garden space, the options are really only limited by your budget, your space and your imagination. Linear gardens work really well around decks, but a free-form garden with sprawling native plants or lush and dense tropical warm-weather plants can look just as lovely, and give you the feeling of being in a secluded natural setting.

Once you’ve decided what function you want your landscaping to serve, you must figure out what types of plants you’ll need to accomplish your goals. To do so, first study the sunlight and rainwater patterns of your deck space. Plants that need drier roots will need to be planted away from deck edges where water collects. Plants that require partial shade will thrive in your deck’s shadier spots, but wilt in full sun.

After you’ve determined what types of plants will be most successful in your space, you can begin choosing specific plants that meet your color, size and style preferences. Then you can map out where each plant will be placed. All that follows is to prep the area, plant your garden and watch your yard come to life.

If you need help designing or implementing a deck landscaping plan, contact a landscape architect or a local nursery for a consultation. For help building or remodeling a deck that perfectly complements and integrates with your landscaping, visit the Rhino Deck website. Rhino Deck offers the best composite decking materials. The company also provides a list of qualified builders and installers in your area.

Have Children? Be Careful Of These Dangerous Plants And Flowers

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dangerous_flowersAs the warmer weather rolls in, many people are heading outside to get their gardens ready for summer.  There are many plants and flowers that are pleasing to the eye.  However, they are much less pleasing to the skin and stomach.

If you have young children at home, you must take caution.  There are lots of plants and flowers that are poisonous.  Additionally, there are several that are capable of causing allergic reactions.

Who Is In Danger?

Some plants can affect anyone.  By simply pruning a plant or picking a flower, you could cause a skin irritation.  Other plants cause damage by smelling them.

However, young children are definitely at the highest risk.  These curious tots tend to get themselves in trouble.  If you have children who are just learning to walk, like to touch everything they see, or put nearly everything in their mouths, you definitely need to keep reading.

If you have any of these dangerous plants or flowers in your garden, you might want to remove them or put a fence around the most dangerous ones.  At the very least, teach your children which plants and flowers to avoid.  Also, keep a close eye on children when they are outside.

What Are the Symptoms to Watch For?

If someone has touched or eaten a dangerous plant, you might notice vomiting, stomach cramps, irregular heartbeat, or burning of the mouth.

The severity and type of the symptoms will depend on the plant or flower.

What Should I do if I Suspect Poisoning?

If the person is having difficulty breathing or is unconscious, call 911 right away.  If you need to go to the hospital, take a piece of the plant with you.  This will help make a diagnosis.  Also, you’ll want to call the poison control center.

  • For skin irritation – Gently wash the area with clean water.
  • For eye irritation – Irrigate the eye(s) with clean water for 20 minutes.
  • If swallowed – Remove any remaining pieces of the plant.  Rinse the mouth with clean water.

Which Plants are Dangerous?

We interviewed a Clearwater florist to find out which plants are the most dangerous to children.  She advised parents to refrain from planting these items.  If they are already in your garden, she says parents might want to remove them.  According to this local florist, these are the most dangerous plants and flowers:

  • Asthma or Stick Weed – This green plant causes skin allergies and can induce asthma attacks.
  • Rhus – If you want to remove this fire-red plant from your garden, make sure all your skin is protected first.
  • Yellow Oleander – Be careful of this evergreen tree and it’s yellow tubular flowers.  All parts of the plant – even the seeds – are toxic.
  • Cactus – If a child managed to swallow this, it could definitely do some internal damage.  More likely, you’ll need to worry about the damage the spines could do to skin and eyes.
  • Hot Chilies – While eating these plants won’t likely be fatal, the hot, spicy peppers can cause a lot of distress for a youngster.  Be very careful with these plants; the bright colors will definitely entice young hands.
  • Dumb Cane – If a child swallows this popular house plant, the mouth will become irritated and swollen.
  • Angel Trumpet – All parts of this flower are toxic and can cause hallucinations.
  • Grevileas – This reddish plant causes dermatitis.
  • Oleander – Every part of this flower is toxic.  Plus, the sap can irritate the skin and eyes.
  • Poinsettia – If children eat this holiday favorite, they will experience delirium.  Like Oleander, the sap of Poinsettias can irritate the skin and eyes.
  • Arum Lily – From the bulb to the flower, every part of this plant is poisonous.

You may desperately desire a beautiful, lush garden this summer.  But don’t plant things that will put your family in danger.  Follow the advice of our local florist; don’t fill your outdoor space with potentially harmful flowers and plants.

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Guest author Emily Renshaw is a freelance writer.  She specializes in subjects relating to families and child development.

Why Do I Need An Arborist Report?

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If you have trees on your property, then you may have occasion to need an arborist’s report. In order to understand why you would need such a report, it is first necessary to understand what an arborist does.

What is an arborist?

An arborist is a professional who is concerned with the health and safety of individual trees, shrubs, vines and other perennial woody plants. An arborist doesn’t manage forests (forestry) or harvest trees (logging). A Certified Arborist is one who has achieved certification with the International Society of Arboriculture by passing exams and then participating in yearly continuing education courses.

What is an Arborist Report?

An arborist report can only be written by a Certified Arborist. The details of the report will vary depending on the requirements of your situation but basically it is an analysis of the health and condition of a tree and the site where it is growing. Issues addressed in these reports can include the presence or absence of disease, the safety of the structure of the tree and recommendations regarding pruning or removal of the tree.

Why do I need an arborist report?

Arborist reports are most commonly used when a homeowner is seeking a permit to prune or remove a tree on their property which is owned by the municipality or if the landscaping is governed by a homeowner’s association. An arborist’s report will determine if a tree is a hazard and needs to be removed because it is diseased or dead. In addition to removal, the report could recommend suitable replacement trees if the original tree was not appropriate to the site or if conditions in the landscape have changed significantly since the tree in question was planted. The report could recommend pruning the tree which would remove limbs that are a danger to buildings or people as well as contribute to the overall health of the tree.

If a tree on your property appears to be ailing, an arborist report can determine what is wrong, for instance insect infestation, disease or improper pruning, and recommend a course of action to bring the tree back to health.

You could also use an arborist report to value a tree for insurance purposes or if you are making a legal claim for damages due to vandalism. An arborist determines the value of a tree by taking into consideration the species of tree, the size of the tree, the condition of the tree and the location of the tree.

Arborist reports are used in personal injury lawsuits, insurance claims, property purchase and development, and in disputes between owners of adjacent properties.

Arborists at Work 2

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Peter Wendt enjoys taking care of his yard when he’s not writing or researching his next project. For those seeking more information about landscaping, Wendt suggests his readers click here.

How to Come Up With Amazing Ideas for Your Garden

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For many of us coming up with a layout for our garden is a speedy and routine process. In most cases we will go with the normal design conventions that gardens tend to feature (a patio, a lawn and perhaps some flowers around the edge) and will be happy to keep our garden pretty much the way it was when we moved into the property.

Of course doing this though means that we won’t be taking full advantage of the space, and would mean missing out on many of the great opportunities that a garden presents. Here then we will look at some ways that you can come up with a garden design that will be more creative and that will help you to take full advantage of the space.

Look Around

Of course the first thing you can do to get ideas for your garden is to look around other gardens. This will mean visiting friends, looking around garden centres, or just browsing images of gardens online in order to get a feel for the kind of thing you like and that you might want for your garden. You may find a garden that you want to practically replicate for yourself, or you might just spot particular features and items that you want to use instead. Either way, this is a great place to find inspiration.

Use a Mood Board

(moj) FLAJER / (my) flyer

In any interior – or in this case exterior – design, a mood board can be a very useful tool for coming up with a design you’re happy with. Essentially a mood board is a collage that you create by taking images, photographs and words and attaching them to the page. This way you can start to come up with a general ‘theme’ that you want for your garden and start to get an idea of the colours, the features and the ‘style’ that you want to employ. If nothing else this is a great way to communicate to your landscaping contractors the kind of feel you want for them to work from.

Research

Researching what’s possible in a garden and the kinds of additional features and things you can get for them is another way to expand your horizons and to come up with new ideas. For instance you may never have heard of the ‘office pod’ which is essentially a pod that you can place at the end of your garden to create an enclosed working space. It’s very modern and very cool and completely changes the way you view what’s possible in your garden. Likewise researching the plants you can grow in your climate and your soil can help you to get a realistic idea of what you want to grow in your garden.

Sketch

Less involved than a mood board but just as useful is to simply sketch out some ideas, and as you start to find the features and the items you want for your garden you can use a sketch to come up with an actual layout and a plan for where you want them all and how they’ll work with your larger design.

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Sharon King is a home improvement expert and says that it is a great idea to try new things while designing. She also says that you can take help from landscaping company while designing your garden.

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